Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) [Anime Review]

Patlabor: The Movie 2; or, Tinker, Tailor, Ingram, Spy
     The line that separates a just war from an unjust peace isn't very clear. Ever since hypocrites have made peace their just cause, we've lost faith in that peace. Just as wars give rise to peace, peace also gives rise to war. An empty, hollow "peace" that only defines itself as "not war" will eventually be replaced by something that is a state of war in all but name.
After the successful Patlabor: The Movie (1989) and Patlabor: The New Files OVA (1990-1992), Headgear decided to put the franchise to a rest with Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993) directed by the famous Mamoru Oshii. In contrast to the previous entries, the final chapter of the Patlabor series feels like an espionage thriller with philosophical ponderings about life known from Ghost in the Shell (1995). However, first and foremost, this anime feature is Oshii’s personal protest against Japanese politics.

Release Info

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii Voice actors: Yoshiko Sakakibara, Ryuusuke Oobayashi, Miina Tominaga, Toshio Furukawa

Language: Japanese Original Title: 機動警察パトレイバー2 the Movie Runtime: 108 min

Synopsis
Three years after the events from the first movie, we see that the members of SV2 Section 2 have gone their separate ways. Noa and Shinohara are now Labor testers, whereas Ota has become an instructor at the police academy, and Shinshi has been transferred to Tokyo MPD. The only people who stayed in SV2 are Hiromi Yamazaki as well as Captain Goto and Captain Nagumo. All of a sudden, the Yokohama Bay Bridge is destroyed by a military missile. This event sets into motion a domino effect which leads to a growing conflict between the Japanese government and JSDF forces. Goto and Nagumo believe that a person responsible for all this is a former UN soldier, Tsuge, who wants to stage a fake coup d’état.

All the good things…
I have to admit that I loathed reviewing this particular film because I had a really hard time understanding what exactly Mamoru Oshii tried to get across with this story. Only after rewatching the film three more times, reading a couple of online essays, and consulting fellow Patlabor fans, Oshii’s intentions became clearer to me.

Patlabor 2: The Movie, contrary to the first theatrical movie, is not an adventure story with comedy elements, but an evaluation of Japan’s participation in the Cold War. When America and the Soviet Union were putting missiles against each other and stealing vital information, Japan claimed that it was neither participating nor taking sides in the conflict. Oshii puts to the test this illusion of a peaceful nation in Patlabor 2. What is more, the existence and purpose of the Japan Self-Defense Forces seem problematic to the director. The opening sequence of the movie serves as a reference to the Cambodian incident, in the course of which two JSDF officers lost their lives. In other words, Patlabor 2 is not a story about clumsy policemen and an optimistic future, but it is about the hypocrisy of politicians who create “unjust peace.”

Oshii’s thoughtful statements uttered through the characters of Goto, Nagumo, Aragaki, and Tsuge are indeed intriguing, but they consequently slow the picture down. The director stated that a lot of action waters down the ideas conveyed in scenes, so he opted for the usage of long shots. As a result, we get a very serious and long winded movie with characters constantly talking and often doing nothing more than just sitting. These cold espionage vibes may be good for an adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel, but they do not work that well in the Patlabor world.

Interestingly, the premise of the story (former mentor of an SV2 officer trying to overthrow the government) greatly resembles the finale of Patlabor: Early Days OVA. Mamoru Oshii himself actually predicted in The Making of Patlabor 2 (1994) documentary when he stated: “So, in the third one, we’ll make an involved story and create a non Patlabor movie.” He also added that he could continue making new Patlabor stories if there were new characters and a somewhat different world  (indeed, that’s what happened with The Next Generation: Patlabor (2014) drama series).

Speaking about performances, the characters of Noa and Shinohara are a bit sidelined in this film, so do not get to her a lot from Miina Tominaga and Toshio Furukawa, respectively. However, Ryuusuke Oobayashi as Goto and Yoshiko Sakakibara as Shinobu are pushed to the foreground in this picture. I could listen to their voices all day long. There is also a great supporting part done by Naoto Takenaka.

Recommendations
All things considered, Patlabor 2: The Movie is a classic anime feature. Even though the first movie is my favourite theatrical film, I shall always regard the sequel as the final chapter of the wonderful science-fiction franchise. If you love the characters of Goto and Shinobu as much as I do, then check it out.
Overall score: 7/10

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WXIII: Patlabour The Movie 3 (2002) [Anime Review]

WXIII: Patlabor The Movie 3; or, The Mystery of the Amphibian Monster

     Mr. Kusumi, isn't it better for us to contact Special Vehicle Unit 2? They have a whole bunch of Labor experts.

WXIII: Patlabor The Movie 3 is the final theatrical instalment in the Patlabor trilogy initiated by Mamoru Oshii in 1989. This movie was directed by Takuji Endo and written by Miki Tori on the basis of a part of the manga. It serves as a side story that chronologically takes place in between the first and the second film.

Release Info

Directed by: Takuji Endo Voice actors: Hiroaki Hirata, Katsuhiko Watabiki, Ryusuke Obayashi, Miina Tominaga

Language: Japanese Runtime: 100 min 

Original Title: WXIII 機動警察パトレイバー Weisuteddo Sātīn Kidō Keisatsu Patoreibā

 

Synopsis

Shinchiro Hata and Takeshi Kusumi are police detectives working on the case involving mysterious attacks on Labours near Tokyo Bay. As the officers begin to dig deeper, with the assistance of MPD’s Special Vehicles 2 Unit, they discover that the attacks are connected with some sort of a biological weapon devised for military purposes…

 

More Mechas, Please!

WXIII: Patlabor The Movie 3 was released 9 years after Mamoru Oshii’s closure of Patlabor’s cinematic timeline and the film certainly seems detached from its source material. First of all, the protagonists of the franchise, members of the Special Vehicles Section 2, are barely present in this story. When Hata asks Kusumi if they should consult SV2 with regard to their investigation, the question is never answered. When the detectives accidentally encounter Izumi and Shinohara a few scenes later, they just leave immediately. As a result, it feels that the film refuses to be a true Patlabor story. It forcefully acknowledges the presence of SV2 only in the third act, as if underlining the fact that it is a spin-off tale happening in the Patlabor universe.

 

Such a drastic measure results in a movie split between two pathways, without any identity whatsoever. On the one hand, it’s a well-made Sci-Fi/Kaiju thriller. On the other hand, it is a Patlabor follow-up that feels ashamed of being just that. If the makers had made some clear decisions during the pre-production process, the movie would have greatly benefited from that.

 

In terms of advantages, the whole premise of an unknown monster wreaking havoc in Tokyo Bay is very effective. There are certain action sequences which definitely grabbed my attention. The animation itself is very nice and it certainly manages to mimic that unique Oshii style of hopeless stillness. In addition, the music score by Kenji Kawai is top notch as always, even though the movie does not have any distinct theme.

 

That being said, I would love to see SV2 cracking the monster case rather than two random detectives on the run. The switch of the leading characters is so unsettling that I felt at one point as if I was watching Lethal Weapon vs. The Thing crossover. Yet, to give this storyline justice, it would be best to call it Patlabor vs. Biollante, because the main monster, its origins, and the way it was handled, seems very much inspired by the Kaiju classic from 1989, Godzilla vs. Biollante.

 

Recommendations

All things considered, WXIII: Patlabor The Movie 3 is a good story which would have been better if it functioned outside of the Patlabor realm. If you are a huge fan of the series, then check it out as a trivia. Just do not let your expectations go through the roof. I am hoping that someday Patlabor will return to its glory days and we will get to see the SV2 team and Alphonse once more.

Overall score: 6/10

Patlabor: The Mobile Police (1988-2016) [Anime Review]

Patlabor; or, Remembering the Mecha Franchise 30 Years Later

     Labor: A robot specifically designed for construction work. Labor allow dramatic advances in construction but also in crime. To combat these new Labor crimes, the police created a special unit: The Patrol Labor. And thus, the birth of Patlabor.

Many anime series come and go, but there are some which imprint themselves on our memories. I remember clearly when a few years back a colleague of mine recommended to me “this hilarious anime about cops in giant robots”. Such a description was enough to get me hooked. I checked out the original OVA from 1988 and I remained a fan of Patlabor ever since, having watched every single entry in the series. This is my nostalgic look back at the under-appreciated (but certainly not forgotten) franchise originally known as Kidō Keisatsu Patlabor.

Release Info

Created by: Headgear Voice actors: Miina Tominaga, Toshio Furukawa, Ryuusuke Oobayashi

Language: Japanese Original Title: 機動警察パトレイバー No. of eps: 70

 

Synopsis

Welcome to the near future (approximately somewhere between 1998 and 2002). The world has made a huge development in terms of robotics and especially in manufactured “Labors” that have revolutionised modern industry. However, along with their usage, Labor-related crimes have skyrocketed as well. That’s why the Metro Police created a special Patrol Labor unit called Special Vehicles Section, the aim of which is to prevent such crimes. The story follows the members of SV Section 2, Division 2, who are the laughing-stock of the entire police force. Noa Izumi is an energetic young pilot of the top-of-the-line Ingram AV-98 Labor. She is aided by her commanding officer, Asuma Shinohara; second unit Ingram pilot, Isao Ohta; his commanding officer, Kanuka Clancy; two truck drivers: Mikiyasu Shinshi and Hiromi Yamazaki; as well as the Division’s chief, Captain Kiichi Goto. Although successfully completing missions, the team often demolishes everything that stands in their way, thus generating huge financial losses and destroying the image of the public service.

 

Condition Green!

After finally finding out some clear info about the release of The Next Generation: Patlabor (2014) adaptation, I decided to revisit the whole franchise and provide my thoughts on it, especially in view of the fact that it is roughly 31 years old. To be honest, I enjoyed every single minute of every anime episode, even more than when I saw the series for the first time.

 

However, some introductory information should be presented first. Patlabor was originally created by Headgear, an independent creative organisation consisting of Masami Yuki, Yutaka Izubuchi, Kazunori Ito, Akemi Takada, and Mamoru Oshii. It first appeared in the form of a manga (devised by Masami Yuki) which was released by Shogakukan in 22 volumes between 1988 and 1994. Subsequently, 7 light novels followed between 1990 and 1994.

In terms of anime, the series spans across 3 theatrical movies and 70 episodes which are divided into 2 separate timelines, so bear with me:

The Movie Timeline:

• Patlabor: Early Days (1988-1989)- The first 7-episode-long OVA directed by Mamoru Oshii which focuses on the origins of Tokyo MPD’s SV2 team.
• Patlabor: The Movie (1989)- I already wrote about this film here, but to be clear: SV2 investigates a series of mysterious Labour incidents during the construction of Babylon Project, an advanced technological attempt to connect small islands in Tokyo Bay and artificially create new land for the expanding Tokyo suburbs.
• WXII: Patlabor The Movie 3 (2002)- This one is more like a spin-off than a proper sequel. A year after the events from the first movie, two Tokyo MPD detectives work on the case involving missing scientists. They have participated in an experiment, the result of which was a genetically engineered monster who fled to Tokyo Bay.
• Patlabor: The Movie 2 (1993)- SV2’s final adventure. An unknown group of terrorists initiates a state of emergency across Tokyo. The only way to stop the threat is SV2 joining forces again, together with Captain Shinobu Nagumo, the leader of Division 1.
• The Next Generation: Patlabor (2014): Taking place 11 years after the events from the anime, this live action series focuses on a new SV2 team fighting Labor-related crimes.

TV Timeline:

• Patlabor: The TV Series (a.k.a. Patlabor on Television) (1989-1990): A 47-episode-long story taking place in a different continuity. This series has a structure similar to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex because it features many SV2’s one-off missions, slice-of-life shenanigans, as well as the whole story arc about battling an evil company known as Schaft Enterprises.
• Patlabor: The New Files (1990-1992): The OVA which consists of 16 episodes serving as the conclusion to the TV series.

Whew, that was quite an enumeration, nevertheless, an important one. If you do not know where to start, then I suggest trying Patlabor: Early Days which serves as a great introduction into the series. If you get interested, then you can check out the rest of the entries in whichever order you like (I personally mixed the TV series with the movies).

 

With regard to each entry, I safely recommend watching all of them. I always have little issues with Patlabor: The Movie 2 (a bit too slow-paced and having strong Ghost in the Shell undertones), but it is a great finale in its own right. In addition, WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3 functions pretty well as an independent monster story, but is pretty underwhelming when compared with the other instalments. My all-time favourites shall remain the TV Series, New Files follow-up, and the first movie.

 

Speaking of TV Series, I really do not get why it is so looked down on contemporarily. To me, this a core of the Patlabor franchise. Without it, we would not get all these wonderful, hilarious, but also dark, and dangerous adventures of SV2. It provides a major character development and, consequently, by Patlabor: The Movie 2, one can really feel the amount of time spent with the characters.

 

In terms of the characters themselves, I love how they are a mixed bunch of unique personalities. Apart from comedy dynamics, each character has a clear story arc and undergoes a personal development as the story moves on. As a result, this makes them all even more wonderful and unforgettable as a team.

 

The futuristic vision of early 2000s is very light-hearted for a change rather than being cyberpunk rendition all over again. However, Headgear cleverly turns the world of Patlabors from harmless fun into a dark reality involving corrupt governments, espionage, and military coups. That’s how multilayered this franchise is.

 

Additionally, the animation itself coupled with beautiful Labor designs by Yutaka Izubuchi is just awesome. I literally have like 4 Patlabor posters hanging on my wall right now. On top of that, Patlabor would not have its distinct tone without the composer Kenji Kawai and his many musical contributions. With his music, one can feel as if living in the mecha world.

 

In 2014, Mamoru Oshii directed a live action called The Next Generation: Patlabor which was followed a year later by a theatrical film The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War. Unfortunately, this reimagining of the series was not well received (at least financially). What is more, there is absolutely no legit English translation of this show. However, I took up the challenge and watched both the drama and movie raw. While not getting much of the details, I can say The Next Generation: Parlabor looks very solid, especially in terms of being faithful to its anime source, and certainly does not deserve the excessive bad rap it receives.

 

2016 saw the release of Mobile Police Patlabor Reboot, an 8-minute concept short reintroducing the franchise to a younger audience. The fate and Japanese reception of the reboot is unknown (I personally liked it). However, it’s been announced by Headgear that they are developing a new animated television series called Patlabor: EZY. You can check out the project’s official site here.

 

Recommendations

All things considered, Patlabor is just so much fun. Quoting a Youtube user: “Friends + Police Academy + giant robots = Patlabor”. Check it out if you can. There are some issues with the availability but where there’s a will there’s a way. Patlabor is a great show which needs some love especially in the CGI age. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the new anime because more people around the world should know about this cops-and-robots franchise. As Noa used to say at the end of each episode: Target, Locked On!

Overall score: 10/10

Patlabor: The Movie (1989) [Anime Review]

Patlabor: The Movie, or, Robo Police Story

      And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

This week’s review will exceptionally not be about a standard Asian motion picture, but it will focus on an anime flick. I can already hear all the yells from cinema connoisseurs that anime films are not what one would call movies per se. I agree with this statement to a certain extent, but it cannot be denied that anime constitutes a highly integrated part of the Japanese culture, including its high and low spheres. Thus, we should not be prevented from taking into consideration one of the highest cinematic achievements in terms of an animated story-telling that Patlabor: The Movie actually is.

Release Info

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii Voice actors: Miina Tominaga, Toshio Furukawa, Ryunosuke Ohbayashi
Language: Japanese Original Title: 機動警察パトレイバー the Movie Runtime: 98 min

Synopsis

Welcome to Tokyo of the year 1999. Since the 1980s, the world has made a huge development in terms of robotics and especially in manufactured “Labors” that have revolutionised modern industry. However, along with their usage, Labor-related crimes have skyrocketed as well. That’s why the Metro Police created a special Patrol Labor unit called Special Vehicles Section 2, whose aim is to prevent such crimes. Needless to say, members of that section are the laughing-stock of the whole police force. Although successfully completing missions, they often demolish everything that stands in their way, thus generating huge financial losses.

The story begins with the development of the so-called Babylon Project, an advanced technological attempt to connect small islands in Tokyo Bay and artificially create new land for the expanding Tokyo suburbs. However, some Labors participating in the construction go haywire and break loose, even when not controlled by the human pilot. Section 2’s skillful commander, Captain Goto, begins his investigation and determines that all labors recently upgraded in Shinohara Heavy Industries were contaminated with a virus devised by the company’s programmer Eiichi Hoba. The Patlabor team steps into action in order to find Hoba and prevent the annihilation of Tokyo before it is too late. However, the problem is that Hoba has already committed suicide…

Cyberpunk Spoof

When watching Patlabor do not expect anything in the style of Ghost in the Shell, Akira, or Blade Runner. This film is primarily a buddy-cop adventure, thriving on the chemistry between the  Section 2’s characters. We have Noa, Asuma, Ohta, Hiromi, Shinshi, Kanuka, Goto, Shige, Sakaki, and Shinobu. Quite a lot of characters for one picture, but since the film’s story is a team-assemble type, everyone has their fair share of screen time. In addition to this, in spite of a quite comedic and light-hearted tone to the movie, the whole conspiracy-plot is very engaging.

Basically, if you have not seen the 7-episode-long OVA entitled Patlabor: Early Days, I recommend that you do so, since the movie heavily relies on the premises from this series. To be more specific, it addresses the question of non-manually operated Labors and a possible resistance from their side. Do not worry, it it not T3: Rise of the Machines (2003) all over again, but a well-thought-out study of what advanced cybercrime may bring us in the future. In addition, there is also action. Labors serve as an excuse to show some top-notch fighting sequences with the final showdown in the Babylon’s “Ark” being pure icing on the cake, especially for Kaiju fans.

Recommendations

Needless to say, Patlabor: The Movie is awesome. It is funny, interesting, and (most importantly) action-packed, with a brilliant music score from Kenji Kawai, great animation, and decent voice acting. What is more important, it does not feel like anime at all. It is so entertaining that it enhances the viewing experience. If you like Godzilla or Pacific Rim (which was, ironically, inspired by Patlabor) this movie should not disappoint you, even though it is an animation. In addition, I also highly recommend to anime fans the Patlabor franchise as a whole (with three theatrical films, three anime series, and a live-action TV show). If you have not seen Patlabor, go and check it now!

Overall score: 9/10